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Event
Information:
The
86th annual New York Thanksgiving
parade takes place on Thursday,
November 22, at 9am. The parade
travels down Central Park West from
77th Street to Columbus Circle along
Central Park South to 6th Avenue,
down 6th Avenue to 34th Street and
along 34th Street to Macy's Herald
Square on 34th Street.
The
best public viewing areas for the
parade are on Central Park
West, the West side of street from
70th Street to Columbus Circle &
east side of street from 70th to
65th, on Columbus Circle, 6th
Avenue: between 58th & 34th Streets
and 34th Street on the south side of
street between Broadway & 7th
Avenue.
The
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in
New York City is an
annual parade presented by Macy's.
The tradition started in 1924, tying
it for the second-oldest
Thanksgiving parade in the United
States, tied with America's
Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and
four years younger than the 6abc
IKEA Thanksgiving Day Parade in
Philadelphia. The three-hour event
is held in New York City starting at
9:00 a.m. EST on Thanksgiving Day.
In the
1920s many of Macy's department
store employees were
first-generation immigrants. Proud
of their new American heritage, they
wanted to celebrate the United
States holiday of Thanksgiving with
the type of festival their parents
had loved in Europe.
In
1924, the inaugural parade
(originally known as the Macy's
Christmas Parade and later the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Christmas
Parade.) was staged by the store.
Employees and professional
entertainers marched from 145th
Street in Harlem to Macy's flagship
store on 34th Street dressed in
vibrant costumes. There were floats,
professional bands and live animals
borrowed from the Central Park Zoo.
At the end of that first parade, as
has been the case with every parade
since, Santa Claus was welcomed into
Herald Square. At this first parade,
however, the Jolly Old Elf was
enthroned on the Macy's balcony at
the 34th Street store entrance,
where he was then "crowned" "King of
the Kiddies." With an audience of
over a quarter of a million people,
the parade was such a success that
Macy's declared it would become an
annual event.
In
addition to the well-known balloons
and floats, the Parade also features
live music and other performances.
College and high school marching
bands from across the country
participate in the parade, and the
television broadcasts feature
performances by famous singers and
bands. The Radio City Rockettes are
a classic performance as well.
On the NBC telecast from in front of
the flagship Macy's store on
Broadway and 34th Street, the
marching bands perform live music
but most of the other live acts use
pre-recorded music with the
performers lip-syncing their
singing.
Local
Weather:
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